Family Life with the Ishtars
by Itavita
Summary: One Shot Several years after Battle City, Marik has acquired his own body and he now lives with Malik and their son, Sei. Things get a bit hectic, though, as his paranoia comes to a head. YAOI, MM NO MPREG IN THIS STORY.


Notes: THERE IS NO MPREG IN THIS STORY. Thanks.

In this fic, Marik gets his own body which has been aged a few years older than Malik's. Just hope that clears up any confusion.

This story ignores the ending of the series, and the fact that Marik disappeared at the end of…well, one of the arcs.

Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC in here, but if you think about it, all fandom is OOC since no one in the actual series is gay and is in any way interested in anyone else. (Wish they were, but that can't be helped)

So, just please overlook that. :p

WARNING: There is a yaoi (guy/guy) lemon scene within this fic (Hence the Mature rating) between Marik and Malik. If you don't like this idea or are not old enough/mature enough to be reading such a scene, please leave and find something else to read. Thank you.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or any of its characters and I make no profit from this story.

-Family Life with the Ishtars-

Malik hummed to himself as he made his way down the sidewalk and to the entrance of his apartment complex, arms full of bags. He had just spent an hour or so shopping for groceries to restock his refrigerator and pantry, both of which had been becoming exceptionally empty over the past week, and was ready to get home and rest his aching feet. He would have put off this menial chore until another day, but he figured he might as well take care of the problem now since he had nothing better to do until Marik and Sei came home.

He reached his apartment door, the golden number 103 hanging crookedly near its center, and placed his burdens on the cement floor, freeing his hands to fish his keys from his pants pocket. Upon finding them, he unlocked the door and pushed it open with his foot, stooping to grab the brown paper bags next to the wall and entered the narrow hallway. Bumping the door closed with his rear, he moved over the clean tile, passing a few mismatched family portraits, and turned right at the following entryway which led into the kitchen.

Discarding his keys on the counter, the blonde proceeded to unpack the groceries, making sure to put each in its proper place, and throw the now empty bags into the garbage to be dealt with later. Glancing around the room with his hands on his hips and a pleased expression on his face, he nodded once and left the kitchen in favor of watching a bit of television in the living room.

Stepping carefully around the array of toys and coloring books splayed across the floor, Malik collapsed into the leather sofa with a pleasant sigh and kicked off his sneakers, hearing them thump against the carpet dully. He told himself he really should place them by the front door, but currently didn't have the energy or the motivation to do so. Instead, the young man snatched the remote control from the coffee table in front of him and pressed the power button, satisfied as the drone of voices from some police drama filtered through the speakers. He wasn't interested in what was on, he just needed something to listen to and take his mind off his duties for a few minutes.

The past few years appeared as a blur within his mind, circling continuously. So much had happened since the pharaoh had decided to stay with Yugi, and most of it was still unbelievable to him – The Millennium items being locked away in a world renowned museum in Cairo, the spirit of the ring unexpectedly agreeing to remain with Ryou, and both of the spirits, along with Malik's own alter ego (whom he just referred to as Marik) receiving their own bodies through a bit of ancient magic and the arduous labor of Kaiba Corp.

Yes, Seto Kaiba's compliance in the process of building the formless beings new bodies was a bit of a shock, but a pleasant one none the less, for it was because of him that Malik and Marik had been able to settle their differences and come together as a couple. They now lived under the same roof and enjoyed spending their free time with one another, and, though the inevitable fight did break out every few weeks, were happy.

To this day, the blonde had yet to think of a viable reason for the severe CEO's generosity, though he believed it had something to do with Kaiba's slight infatuation with one Jounouchi Katsuya, who was good friends with most of the group. The taller blonde and Malik were still at odds as to what occurred during Battle City, but they were slowly strengthening their relationship to that of mutual acceptance.

One of the main instances which reinforced this bond between them was, of course, the combined efforts of Jou and Mokuba, Seto's younger brother, to convince the elder Kaiba to put his research facilities to use once more and begin a project to create a child from spliced genes of each couple. Thanks to this second show of generosity, Malik and Marik's son, Sei, had joined their household.

Malik smiled and rolled onto his back, lavender eyes tracing patterns on the living room ceiling. He pictured their son - with his dark skin, violet eyes, and light blonde hair which stuck out in all directions like his father - and sighed. 'I owe so much to Seto and the scientific world for giving me my lover and son. Too bad I probably won't ever get the chance to repay either of them.'

He frowned, mind running over other memories of the last year. Marik had been acting strangely since Sei had his third birthday, overly possessive (even for him) and paranoid at odd times of the day. Malik didn't know what his lover had to be worried about and the other man wasn't about to tell him flat out what the problem was. So, he just lingered in the dark, hoping some day soon Marik would snap out of whatever funk he had fallen into.

He heard the jingle of keys in a lock and looked toward the hallway as Marik's deep voice sounded outside the door. The blonde sat up and swung his legs over the side of the sofa, chuckling as his lover's muffled comments were answered by Sei's high pitched giggles. That boy sure loved spending time with his father.

"We're home!" Marik called as he opened the door, practically tripping over the overexcited three-year-old that ran through his legs and into the apartment. He shook his head exasperatedly, closing and locking the door and following his son into the living room to find the child already in the arms of his smaller counterpart. The man paused on his way to deposit his keys on the counter next to Malik's and took a moment to watch his lover kiss a squirming Sei on the forehead and cheek.

"So, how was your day?" Malik asked his son as he leaned forward on the couch, drawing the boy between his knees and further into his embrace. "Did you have fun at preschool?" Ah, the infamous preschool days. Thankfully, Sei had adjusted quickly to the idea of life without his parents constantly being at his beck and call, having only had to be forcefully pried from either Malik or Marik's legs a few times when they attempted to drop him off at the child center.

"Good." Sei chirped, scrambling into his dad's lap and curling up in his arms, resting his small head against the other's chest. "We got to color a picture of a elephant and eat cookies and watch a movie and…" he babbled on for a few more seconds, not taking notice of his dad turning his attention to the older blonde by the counter.

Malik studied the other man, brows furrowing. 'What's wrong with him?' he thought, looking away when Marik's eyes met his. 'He's been acting so odd lately, especially when I'm around Sei. I wish he'd tell me what was bothering him so we could put whatever it is behind us.'

"Dad?"

He started at the sudden question and glanced down at the boy on his lap. "What is it, Sei?" Malik asked. He hugged him apologetically, unsure if he had realized his dad had been ignoring him.

"I'm hungry." The child said, staring at him expectantly.

Malik rolled his eyes, shifting the boy in his arms and standing, stretching his back gingerly. "You're always hungry." He sighed, carrying Sei passed Marik and into the kitchen, setting him gently next to the sink and checking the clock on the wall. "Well, it is dinner time I suppose. What would you like to eat?"

"Namoura!" the toddler squealed, throwing his hands into the air.

"You're not having Namoura for dinner." Malik chided, making his way over to the fridge and pulling open the door to rummage through its contents for something to serve. He bit his lip, unable to settle on anything, and focused on Marik to break the stalemate. "What do you feel like having tonight, Marik?"

The other male shrugged and finally put down his keys, moving to sit at the kitchen table. "It doesn't matter to me. Whatever you and Sei choose is fine." He cracked a smile as his son's sour expression (which had appeared at his dad's earlier refusal of Namoura) morphed into a delighted grin.

The younger blonde pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. He should have known better than to look to Marik for an answer. When it came to Sei, his lover tended to lose more battles than he won. Clenching his teeth, he grabbed a few assorted vegetables and a plate of pork from the fridge and shut the door with a loud thump. Taking an oversized pan and skillet from the cabinets below the sink, he packed the former with the meat and shoved it in the oven, then filled the latter with the vegetables and set it on the stove to simmer.

Once finished, he removed the toddler from the counter and plopped him unceremoniously into Marik's lap, satisfied at the man's grunt of discomfort as Sei's weight crushed his manhood. Malik then began setting the table and filling their glasses, pouring tea for him and Marik and juice for their son, and the three of them fell into a peaceful conversation, sipping their drinks and awaiting the time to eat.

Dinner was uneventful (if you didn't count the humongous mess caused by a spilled cup of juice) and Malik soon found himself in Sei's room playing a game with the boy in order to keep him busy until his bed time rolled around. He had been instructed by the child to bring their suitcases into the room and begin packing for their 'trip' - to where the young man didn't know – and now here he sat, helping the toddler fold and pile an assortment of socks, shirts, underwear, pants, and shoes into their luggage.

'This is going to be a pain to put back.' He thought, cringing.

Eventually, Sei tired himself out, and with eyelids drooping he allowed himself to be steered to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and changed into the pajamas Malik handed to him. Yawning widely, he came back out into the living room and held up his arms, silently asking to be carried. His dad, too tired to argue, bent to pick him up and carted him to his room to tuck him in.

Marik watched them go, sharp eyes taking in each second of movement. When Malik was out of sight, he clicked off the television he had been staring at for the past few hours and stood from his chair, brushing the crumbs he had picked up from god-knows-where off his pants, and went to his and his counterpart's bedroom. He changed out of his day clothes quickly, then pulled on a pair of long pajama bottoms and went to brush his teeth, chest bare. The sound of Malik changing clothes and the soft echo of him flipping the light switch reached Marik, and the blonde put his tooth brush back on the countertop as he spat into the sink.

Wiping his mouth, he turned out the bathroom light and joined the other blonde under the covers, unhappy when he saw Malik's back to him. Frowning, he scooted as close as his pride would allow, then relaxed into the sheets and closed his eyes, listening to his lover's light breathing and letting it lull him to sleep.

While Marik slept peacefully, Malik's dreams were plagued with violent images and nightmarish creatures. The final nightmare that flashed across his psyche before he woke up covered in sweat was that of Sei being dragged away by some unknown force, leaving him alone in the darkness. The young man sat in bed, breath escaping in heavy pants and his eyes wide. He glanced at his bedmate, calming slightly at the serene expression on the other's face.

'It's alright, it was just a dream. Nothing happened to Sei.' He told himself firmly, but no matter how many times he repeated it, his body refused to unwind. Rubbing his eyes angrily, he wiped away a trail of tears he hadn't realized were there and threw the blankets from him, getting clumsily out of bed and stepping foot on the warm carpet below. 'I'll just go see him. There's nothing wrong with going to see my son in the middle of the night.'

He left the room, careful not to wake Marik, and steered himself around obstacles in the pitch black of the apartment, relying on his memory to lead him to Sei. A stubbed toe and aching shoulder later, he was standing beside the three-year-old's twin bed, the Sun God of Ra sheets barely visible in the light from the boy's nightlight in the corner.

"Sei?" he whispered, running a hand down the smaller blonde's back. Bright lavender eyes opened sleepily at his voice and Sei turned over onto his back, yawning hugely. He blinked at his dad for a few seconds, mind still fuzzy and confused, but didn't object when he was plucked out of bed and held to his dad's chest, head lying limply on the man's shoulder.

"Daddy?" he mumbled, hands fisting in Malik's shirt. He gave another yawn as he felt a kiss at his temple and pressed his face into his dad's neck, breathing becoming even as he fell asleep once again.

Malik rubbed the boy's back comfortingly, just the other's presence making him feel more at ease. His earlier nightmare melted away now that Sei was in his arms and he wondered why he had been worried at all. 'It was stupid of me to let a dream concern me like that.' He berated himself. 'This parent business is starting to get to me.'

The blonde lowered his head and tightened his grip. He was about to sit on the thick mattress and rest his feet, when a figure in the shadows by the door caught his eye. He turned quickly, wrapping his arms defensively around Sei and glared at the form, heart in his throat. Its elbows were resting on either side of the door frame, effectively blocking Malik's escape path, and its face was hidden in the gloom of the hall.

Fighting to find his voice, he was cut off when the other spoke. "What do you think you're doing?"

The young man growled low. It was Marik! That asshole, he almost gave him a heart attack! Swallowing back an aggravated retort, Malik huffed indignantly and counted to three before answering in a heated whisper. "I was just holding Sei. Why, is that a problem?"

Marik came forward into the orange glow of the nightlight, face eerily blank. His gaze flicked to the floor near Sei's bed, then back up to his counterpart, jaw visibly tensing. "I'm going to ask one more time. What do you think you're doing?"

The younger blonde gaped at him. What on earth was Marik's problem? What answer was he looking for? "Like I said, I'm just holding our son. I had a nightmare earlier and thought this would help settle my nerves." At his lover's barely contained snarl, he took an involuntary step back.

"Were you planning on going somewhere?" the other man asked, drawing nearer. He wasn't even trying to keep his tone low so as not to bother Sei, who was still unconscious on Malik's shoulder.

"W-what are you talking about? Going somewhere? Of course not, it's not even dawn yet!"

"Put him down." It was an order, not a request. Malik hesitated, then reluctantly did as he was told, shifting Sei in his grasp and carrying him back to the bed to lay him under the blankets. The toddler brought the covers up to his chin and burrowed into their warmth, the throws of sleep making him oblivious to the world around him once more.

The blonde gasped as a strong hand gripped his upper arm and pulled him from the room. "Marik, what's going on? What's wrong with you?" his fingers pried at his lover's hold as he stumbled along in the dark, wishing to free himself. His questions fell on deaf ears, however, and moments later he was thrown to the floor of their bedroom with a dull thud.

"Tell me the truth, Malik." The older man hissed, shutting the door swiftly behind him and flipping on the lights. "What exactly were you doing in Sei's room?"

Malik clambered to his feet, retreating until the back of his knees came into contact with the mattress of their bed. He gazed at the older man nervously, not understanding what had gotten Marik so upset. "I already told you! I had a nightmare about Sei and couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up to go see him."

"Then why were there suitcases on the floor?"

The blonde was taken aback. "Suitcases?" he thought hard about what exactly the other was speaking of, before it hit him. The luggage he and Sei had been playing with earlier were still lying on the floor of the boy's room, packed full and appeared ready to be taken on a last minute vacation. So that's what Marik had seen! "No, it's nothing like what you think it is, Marik! Sei and I were playing some kind of game of his earlier, something about packing for a 'trip.' I was going to clean it up, but I was too tired tonight so I planned on unpacking everything tomorrow."

Marik glared at him. "Nice story, but I doubt it. I've seen how you act around me, how you've _been_ acting around me." His pupils dilated. "You're still afraid of me, aren't you? You haven't forgiven me for what I did during Battle City."

"Of course I have! If I was still angry with you because of something like that then why would I have even agreed to live with you in the first place? To have a son with you? What's done is done, Marik, I've put the past behind me and I think it's about time you did, too!"

An uncomfortable silence settled over the two, and Malik shifted, gaze never leaving his lover. He was waiting for the older blonde to say something, anything, but it was becoming apparent Marik wasn't going to. Entangling his fingers in the material of his night shirt, he cleared his throat.

"Marik, is this what you've been fretting over this past year? Have you been under the impression that I was losing interest in you and was harboring thoughts of leaving and taking Sei with me? If that's what's bothering you, please, let me clear up this matter right now and set your mind at ease. I'm not going to run out on you, nor would I ever part you from our son. I love you too much to do something like that and I just wish you had more confidence in my feelings for you."

When the other man didn't move, Malik cautiously approached him, raising his hands and placing them tenderly to his lover's bare chest. "Please, Marik. Please think more of me than that." He pressed himself against the solid body of his counterpart, nuzzling into his neck. "Please."

A pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, bringing him flush against the tan chest before him. He raised his head and lavender met deep violet as the older man's voice rang out around them. "You really love me, Malik? You forgive me for all that I've done and you wish to stay here with me, with Sei?"

Smiling, the smaller boy cupped Marik's cheek affectionately. "If I didn't, would I be here now?" he replied simply, standing on his toes to place a chaste kiss on the other's lips. He lowered his hand back to his lover's chest as Marik deepened the kiss, desperate for assurance. Malik fell into him, allowing himself to be dominated. He didn't mind, and if it helped give his partner confidence in their relationship, it was worth every moment.

They parted for air soon afterwards, but neither pulled away from the other's embrace. Marik held the younger boy to him, elated that his fears of the last year were unfounded, and brought Malik into another kiss, this time taking it slow, wanting to savor his lover's unique taste. Both lost themselves in the kiss and neither took much notice as they moved toward the bed.

The shorter blonde squeaked as he lost his balance, falling onto the blankets in a heap. He chuckled as another body landed heavily beside him, lifting to hover mere inches above his own. Its owner slid his hand up the young man's shirt, gliding along the smooth skin of his stomach and chest and eliciting a moan from his lips. Malik aided the hands in relieving him of his shirt, tossing the article of the clothing at the dresser a few feet away.

Marik lowered his head, leaving tender kisses and nips along the boy's jaw and throat, moving lower at Malik's insistence to lick at the toned abdomen. He felt his counterpart tug at his hair desperately, small mewls of pleasure escaping him. The elder smirked and returned to his lover's lips, delving his tongue into Malik's mouth hungrily.

He ground his hips playfully into the boy's below him, swallowing the answering cries. "I'm glad you're willing to stay with me, Malik." He said as he broke away, lower body continuing its onslaught. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"Mmm, that's alright. At least now you know you were wrong." Malik breathed, bucking against his other. He gasped as a warm hand delved past the waistband of his pants and brushed against his growing erection. He moaned his partner's name and arched into the touch, unconsciously asking for more.

Marik obliged him, shamelessly pumping the younger one until he was practically writhing in pleasure. Once he was satisfied Malik was past the point of no return, he removed his hand and went back to attacking the tanned chest beneath him, all the while working to rid the blonde of his pants.

Said blonde wound his arms around the larger man's shoulders, fiddling with the strands of sandy colored hair at the nape of his neck. Wiggling faintly, he felt his pants slide down his legs and listened as they, too, found their way to the floor. He released his hold on Marik as the other pulled away, giving himself room to free himself from his own pajama pants.

Once both were bare, they continued their session of heated kisses and wandering hands, barely suppressed groans filling the air. No matter how pleasurable the touches, they couldn't allow themselves to be heard and wake Sei. The toddler's discovery of what they were doing would only lead to embarrassing questions and a long, long discussion of what was known as 'the birds and the bees.'

Parting to catch their breath, Malik tilted his head to run his tongue along the warm expanse of tanned skin above him while Marik frantically hunted for a tube of lubrication in the top drawer of the side table. He growled as a particularly well placed nip at his collar bone sent shivers down his spine and doubled his efforts, almost sighing with relief when he extricated the urgently sought after lube.

Sitting up, he popped open the cap and poured a generous amount of the clear substance into his palm and greased his fingers. Motioning for Malik to raise his hips, he bypassed the blonde's straining need and located his entrance, inserting a digit slowly and grinning at the moan the action brought from his bedmate. Hastily adding a second finger, he paused at the hiss that escaped the other, then persisted at a delayed pace.

Marik took back his hand when his lover's cries became those of delight and picked up the forgotten bottle, transferring more of its contents into his hand and oiling his manhood before positioning the organ at the wall of muscle, placing his hands at either side of Malik's head for support. Mouth descending on the smaller blonde's, he thrust forward and swallowed the pained cry, hips stilling as he waited for the other to adjust.

Several moments later, his partner bucked upward, telling Marik he was ready. With a grunt, the elder pulled out until only the head of his shaft lingered, then pressed back in, filling Malik once more. He began a leisurely rhythm, spurred on by the impassioned whimpers of the one beneath him. Whenever the blonde would grow too loud, he would drop to his elbows on the bed and clamp his mouth over his counterpart's to silence him.

As his need grew, so did the rate of his thrusts and he couldn't help but smirk at the blush spreading over Malik's dark cheeks as their movements caused the headboard to bump against the wall. He was impressed with the way his lover kept up with the new pace, lower body rising and falling to meet his, and he mumbled incoherently as the warmth surrounding him tightened and released rhythmically.

His limbs grew taut as his release closed in on him, and if the other's erratic breaths and increasingly sporadic bucks were any indication, Malik's was as well. He increased his thrusts, plunging deeper until he found the younger man's prostate and hit it repeatedly, snickering as he swallowed the screams torn from the blonde's throat.

After a few more well placed thrusts the other couldn't take anymore, and he arched his back, fingers intertwining with his partner's as he came with a muffled shout, his inner walls clenching almost painfully around the shaft inside him. He saw Marik freeze above him and a moment later the welcome heat of the man's seed filled him to the core.

The two collapsed heavily, the elder lying across his lover in a heap. They soon came down from their highs, breathing evening out and sweat dripping from their skin. Marik pulled out of his lover, groaning as the cool air hit his softening member, and rolled to the side, drawing Malik into his embrace. The scent of their lovemaking filled his nose and he nuzzled into the younger boy's hair, kissing the sun bleached locks delicately.

"Are you still afraid I'm upset with you?" Malik murmured, snuggling further into Marik's chest and butting his head under the other's chin. The grip around his back and waist tightened and he heard the man exhale.

"No, and I'm sorry I ever was. Since you've forgiven me for Battle City, will you forgive me for this, too?" His tone almost sounded pleading, making Malik smile.

"What do you think?" he asked, coaxing Marik into another searing kiss that left them both sure of the answer.

END

Yes! Another One Shot down! –happy-

So, did you enjoy it? I hope so. Oh, and sorry if you don't like the idea of them having a kid. I usually don't read fics like that myself, but for some reason this idea popped into my head and refused to leave, so I just had to type it up.

Let's see, let's see, ending notes… Well, Namoura, for those of you who don't know what it is, is an Arabic dessert consisting of semolina, coconuts, rose water, cinnamon, and walnuts soaked with sugar syrup and topped with almonds. Never had it before, but it sounds pretty good.

If you DID enjoy, please leave me a review. I love to hear your feedback. :P


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